Sisters face trial over ISIS affiliations as evidence presented in Oslo courtroom

In the fifth week of the trial against two sisters accused of ISIS affiliations, police officer Martin Bøyum presented electronic evidence retrieved from the older sister’s mobile phone. The phone, used while the older sister was in the overcrowded Al Hol camp in Syria with her children, contained ISIS propaganda and a video of an execution.

The sisters were present in court alongside their defense attorneys. The older sister claimed that she felt compelled to keep such material on her phone to show allegiance to ISIS, stating that failing to do so could endanger her. The mobile device was acquired by Norwegian authorities through British police, who had confiscated it during the older sister’s arrest in the camp, where she was caring for the child of a prominent foreign fighter.

She faces charges related to managing responses towards women viewed as adversaries of ISIS or those who did not share its beliefs within the camp. Several conversations discovered on the phone are believed to corroborate these claims. Both sisters deny any wrongdoing, asserting they traveled to Syria for humanitarian efforts, not to support ISIS.

During a march 2021 chat, the accused voiced intentions regarding five women in the camp labeled as “spies,” indicating a violent response was planned against them. She discussed her awareness of the dangers these women posed, explaining they reported on the activities of others, leading to violent retributions.

Prosecutor Marit Formo disputes the defendant’s claims of innocence, arguing that her involvement in the events is clear and her explanations lack credibility.